Need advise from black belts 4th dan & up Please

[Brandon Fisher]

I need advice from black belts that have been around a long time, preferrably 4th Dans and up. No offense to those that haven’t but its just the situation at hand.

2 months ago I was told to leave the organization that I had been with just over 21 years. The head guy a 10th dan Soke who I had always looked up to kicked me to the curb without an explanation. Now that night we kind of got into it because I could not see some documents he expected me to fill out. Now I am visually impaired considered legally blind and have been all my life. He printed these documents in 8pt font and I had asked him to increase the size of the text just a week before this incident. He didn’t want to do it because “it would take up more paper”. This is a man that always told me and my family he loved me like a son but given the situation that has proved incorrect. He told me to have my wife fill out the forms of which she couldn’t hardly see either to which I responded with “it isn’t her responsibility”. He would not offer a solution except he would do it but it didn’t answer my question of what did he want me to do.

Well my Mom and Dad had left to out of town that day and after this incident I called them to make sure they made it safely. When I hung up I returned to the class put my phone away and went to use the restroom. When I returned he took me out in the hallway and told me to go home and when I thought I could come back to call him. I tried to ask why and he just responded with I know what you are doing and told me I could not issue a challenge to our students if I was acting like a child myself. Now I am not stupid I know that the problem was over these documents. He even told me that it wasn’t a matter of that I couldn’t see them but that I didn’t want to see them.

Well he called my mom the next week saying they needed to talk because we had a problem but that never happened. The excuses when he decided he wanted all the equipment back and the bank account information was he couldn’t talk then he had to choose his words carefully. Then later it was well look into your own family and you will see the problem. He kicked me and my family out of the organization after more then 21 years with no explanation what so ever. To this day there is none. Now he has placed a list of black belts on his website and my name is not there. But ones that stole files and destroyed files from his office, ones who had him kicked out of 1 recreation dept. and YMCA within a week of each other and ones who are or were drug addicts are listed.

Before 1995 the system did not have any kata whatsoever and it was called Karate Do supposedly based on Shotokan. In 1995 I began incorporating kata training to the system. I created and co-wrote a very extensive training manual of which he had never had in the 40+ Years of teaching and now it is like he is pretending I never existed. I even renamed the organization and created the logo.

I still do not know exactly why this all came about but we have gotten word back from others that yes indeed it was over those documents even though he stated to my mom that they had nothing to do with it. There are a lot of stories that have come back that are conflicting to what he says from reliable sources. He is taking credit for a system that I created but never documented the complete master text in writing because it was not complete and I was working on building and bettering his system.

So what would you do? Would any of your treat any of your long-term students like this? Wouldn’t you think there is an explanation to be made?

There were a couple of us that worked out some escapes from abduction. These techniques included being tied up in various ways and simulated as close as possible to the real thing given none of us have a sick mind. The only problem was we did the research and he distanced himself from it even though it was by his request. This is one of the things that he had us do and then backed off. The trouble we could have gotten into I can’t even imagine. Someone bought a 5th Dan ranking from one of his favorite organizations and he wanted that individual pulled off the website because he does not teach has never had any students never promoted any black belts and never had a home base for more then 5 years in one system and all of a sudden there is the 5th Dan. So I did as was requested of me but I paid the price because we would not back me when the head of the organization called me and told me I was nothing and I would never be anything along with I was egotistical loser and I wouldn’t dictate to him what martial arts is and what it isn’t.

Now I have renamed the system that I founded to incorporate my karate background also and I am working hard and getting it out there. I think that in time things will ultimately be ok but now I feel very betrayed. Now after all this I learned a huge lesson don’t ever cover for someone else and do their dirty work. It always comes back to bite you.

I appreciate any and all feedback.

[patusai]

Wow! I never experienced anything like that especially after 21 years. I have known black belts who left organizations after reaching 3rd dan but the split was, at least as I know it, more mutual. Usually it was because the dan wanted to do their own thing...yes, not really ready to make the move but they wanted to go out on their own.

Maybe in time he will be able to talk and you can get an explaination. Not knowing why is very difficult and the longer times goes by the more difficult it will get. I am not sure what the documents were. I assume that the content had no bearing on the decision.

Maybe he felt it was time for you to move on and be on your own. Of course when that happens it is usually done under different conditions.

Good luck in your school and I hope that someday that you are given the opportunity to meet with your instructor and talk this out...even if it does not get resolved.

[Brandon Fisher]

Thank you I appreciate the comments. Maybe someday I will be able to talk but now after comments that he has made I am so angry I can't stand the thought of him. I do know that he has done this to other people in the past but it is a case that he always reminded everyone that he was the "Soke". He accused me of having an out of control ego but I even have issues being called master. Sensei is more than enough for me. I think that I will probably never know but I will run into him at a tournament someday his reaction should be interesting. I will remain professional at all times.

The documents in question where student evaluation sheets and class schedules. Keep in mind that the schedules did not reflect all ranks in the alotted class time only beginners so the advanced ranks would be stuck teaching or only doing kihon all the time. If it did switch the beginners would end up doing advanced techniques.

I pray this ends soon, the hurt is unbelievable.

Thank you to all who read this and have given me a chance to vent it helps a little to do this on a forum.

[patusai]

If he has done it before then perhaps he is worried about some younger stronger person taking over and does not allow a person to pass a certain limit. Speaking from experience, the older one gets their skills start reflecting age. You look out at a world that does not appreciate age and the knowledge and ability that it brings. It make you feel inferior. This is a world that would sooner recognize a 7th degree black belt on a young ripped buy than a old man with 30 years experience. I did a little research after sending you the response and I was able to find photos. This may be the thing

[Brandon Fisher]

Yeah maybe. I did send you a PM. I won't realease his name on a public forum as I do not want to trash him in anyway shape or form. The anger makes me feel like it but I am not that kind of person.

[swdw]

Brandon,

I would suggest going to this webpage and reasing it. Seeif some of it applies to the soke of your system and the culture he creates.

http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/MAculture.html

[Brandon Fisher]

I will have to read through it further I just scanned it but it doesn't appear to relate.

I did go ahead with a system I founded some years ago and expanded it and renamed it so that I have control over what I am teaching and how it is taught. Nothing got to me more then when I was told I couldn't tell a student who was a 2nd Dan black belt he was teaching a kata wrong. I had to bring in books showing this kata from Nakayama, Sugiyama, & Nagamine to show him to prove it.